


Facing East

by Lilly_C



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Community: writers_choice, F/F, One Shot, Originally Posted on LiveJournal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-22
Updated: 2009-08-22
Packaged: 2017-11-05 18:42:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/409750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilly_C/pseuds/Lilly_C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Re-invent your world today</p>
            </blockquote>





	Facing East

A relentless tapping was beginning to grate on the nerves of the DEA agents. “Miss Cabot!” Agent Hammond snapped.

Alex gave a mischievous wink. “What?” she innocently asked as she continued to use the pen as a drumstick.

“Stop drumming. It’s annoying.” 

“You know what I want Agent Hammond.”

Agent Hammond left the room with another agent. Once outside he handed a tatty piece of paper to the young man. “Find out who lives here,” he ordered. “She’s not going to die on my watch.”

The rookie agent understood fully. “Yes sir,” he replied before pushing a fire door open leading into another part of the hotel.

Agent Hammond reentered the hotel room. “He’s gone to check it out.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Check what out? That address is, sorry, was my safe haven.”

“Cesar Velez is still out there and it’s for your safety as well as my record.”

“Screw your record Hammond. I only testified for you on one condition. Do you remember what that condition was?”

The agent rubbed his temple as a headache started. “That you got to spend a night with Detective Benson at her home.”

A smug courtroom win smile formed on Alex’s mouth. “So when do I get to see her?”

“As soon as Agent Rossiter has ran the address through all the usual channels.”

A few minutes passed when Agent Rossiter returned. He approached Agent Hammond, quietly revealing the details to his superior. “It is Detective Benson’s address,” he confirmed.

Alex quickly zipped her boots, grabbing her coat as she led the men out of the room.

*

A black SUV parked across the street from Olivia’s building. Inside Agent Hammond gave Alex a cell phone and instructions. “There will be two agents in this car all night. Use this when you’re ready to leave.” Alex was about to exit the car when another agent spoke. “Make sure you’re ready for court tomorrow, we could have a verdict.” Alex smiled, closing the door.

Once inside she hesitated as she approached the apartment that she liked to call home, especially after a particularly draining case. “No time like the present,” she muttered as her hand started to shake as she put the key in the lock.

The safety of a 9mm flicked off as the door opened. “Jesus Alex!” Olivia exclaimed.

“I kept these,” Alex sheepishly replied dangling the keys from her pinky finger.

Olivia switched the TV to standby, tossing the remote she jumped over the couch stumbling towards her unexpected visitor. “I missed you,” she confessed enveloping Alex in a protective embrace. “I missed you too, Liv.”

“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at the hotel?” Olivia asked as she loosened her grip a little.

Alex’s cheeks reddened slightly. “I told Agent Hammond that after I testified he would arrange it so that I get to spend the night here with you. Here I am.” She chuckled attempting to lighten the mood. “There are two agents across the street in a black SUV.”

Olivia smiled at the irony of the comment. “Black SUV,” she repeated.

*

“I’m sorry that we couldn’t really talk or do anything last night, Liv. I’m sure that there were cameras in the room, I got my ass handed to me by Hammond this morning before I testified.”

“There was one in the smoke alarm and another in the lighting panel,” Olivia confirmed. “So what’s Wisconsin really like? I knew you were lying last night when you said you liked it.”

“You can still tell,” Alex whispered, releasing a despondent sigh. “Not New York. I don’t like anything about it but for Emily Iredale it’s great.”

Olivia pulled Alex into a comforting hug. “Oh sweetheart, it can’t be that bad can it?”

Alex looked up at Olivia revealing how empty and helpless she was felt on a daily basis through her unshed tears. “I just want to come home. I am so sick of pretending to be someone I’m not, it’s not fair on anyone especially Adrian.”

“Talk to him,” Olivia advised. “Or is he just there to fill the void?”

Alex freed herself from Olivia’s embrace, going to the window she sighed as her tears matched the raindrops of the mid-February night. Watching for a moment Olivia mentally scolded herself for her insensitivity towards the woman who she loved more than life itself and wanted back. 

“That was out of line,” Olivia mumbled.

“No it wasn’t. Your right Liv, he is just filling the void. I only agreed to a date with him because he has brown eyes but other than that I’m not really bothered what happens with him. He doesn’t make me feel the way you do.”

Olivia gently squeezed Alex’s shoulder, lightly shivering as her cheek rested against the back of her hand. “He doesn’t make you feel Safe and loved,” she said softly admitting her own reflected truth.

*

Once they broke apart Alex headed towards the bedroom, Olivia turned the TV back on. “I have something to show you,” Alex shouted.

“Maybe later,” Olivia hollered back.

Alex emerged wearing a pair of sweat pants that barely stayed up with the drawstring fastened tightly. She climbed over the couch, quickly curling up beside Olivia. “can I show you now? It is later.”

“Very funny,” Olivia chuckled. She did a double take when she caught a hint of something foreign on Alex’s hip. She traced the top of the image that wasn’t covered. “Show me it now.”

Pulling one side of the baggy pants away Alex revealed an intricately designed tattoo. As Olivia’s fingers traced the image she released a gasp she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “you know how I feel about tattoos but that looks amazing.” 

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Alex admitted. “a nice story Accompanies it. Do you want to hear it?”

Olivia nodded her head, leaning back she awaited the story behind the art. For the first time ever she considered body modification to be art rather than something silly that is rarely thought through.

“On Christmas Eve I had nothing to do so I went online and started googling random topics and I came across two articles about lizards and what they mean in different cultures.”

“Lizards, Alex you’re even scared of goldfish.”

Alex playfully hit Olivia on the arm. “It’s my story and it’s interesting. Let me finish it.”

Olivia raised her hands in surrender. “Sorry sweetie, carry on.”

“What I found interesting about lizards was that they can break off their tails to escape from predators and the tail is left behind to throw them off course but they can only do it once because a re-grown tail is cartilage instead of vertebrae. Because they can only lose their tail once they have to choose wisely because the consequences are felt for a long time afterwards.”

Memorizing every detail of the tattoo on her girlfriend’s hip, Olivia smiled when she realized that the eastern point was missing. “why is east missing on the compass?”

Alex pressed a finger against Olivia’s lips. “I’m getting to that. In Egypt they believe that during springtime a lizard will climb and eastward facing wall and look to the east. It’s believed that the sight of the lizard and a blind person will be returned when the sun rises. The thing that really interested was about roman mythology because they apparently sleep through the winter and symbolize death and resurrection.”

The last word brought bittersweet tears to Olivia’s eyes. Alex tenderly wiped them away with her thumbs. “I got this to remind me of home, of you. Read the letters Liv.”

Olivia followed the instruction, smiling through her tears when she saw LIV in place of NWS on the compass. “So the lizard is facing east.”

“Exactly. The guy who did it for me said that someone back east must be special and he was right.”

“You got that for me?” Olivia questioned, already knowing the answer.

Alex gently kissed Olivia waiting for acceptance of the familiar. Olivia held onto her as she laid them down on the small couch, they both giggled as their feet dangled over the armrest.


End file.
